(CNN) - President Barack Obama signed into law Thursday a budget deal forged by Democrats and Republicans in Congress that puts off the risk of a government shutdown for two years while easing some automatic spending cuts.

Obama also approved a defense spending bill that includes provisions altering the way sexual assaults are handled in the military. The measure also makes it easier to transfer detainees out of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
“The continued operation of the facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists,” Obama said in a statement.

The budget deal was crafted by a bipartisan group led by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the Democratic Budget Committee chairwoman; and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, a Republican who chairs the House Budget Committee.

It outlines federal spending through 2015, meaning the government will remain open for the foreseeable future. A government shutdown at the beginning of October cost the government millions, and left a large swath of the federal workforce at home.

The president and his family are vacationing in Hawaii over the holidays.

soundoff(13 Responses)

A government shutdown at the beginning of October cost the government millions, and left a large swath of the federal workforce at home.
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Just how did shutting the government cost the government millions? Probably because the politicians decided to give the 17% of NON-ESSENTIAL government workers a two week paid vacation.

And please CNN, how about some accurate reporting. 17% of the federal government, the NON-ESSENTIAL government, was shutdown. Is the 83% that was NOT shut down the "large swath"?? And the very small part the "small swath"??

December 26, 2013 05:47 pm at 5:47 pm |

????

The measure also makes it easier to transfer detainees out of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
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So where the heck is Obama going to transfer them to??? Better not be any place in the USA or the Democrats are going to take an even bigger beating in 2014.

December 26, 2013 05:58 pm at 5:58 pm |

Sniffit

"17% of the federal government, the NON-ESSENTIAL government, was shutdown. Is the 83% that was NOT shut down the "large swath"?? And the very small part the "small swath"??"

1. "Non-essential" does not mean what you apparently think it means and how you're attempting to use it.

2. "Large swath" does not require nor imply nor equate to "majority." Hundreds of thousands of workers is a "large swath," regardless of any games you'd like to play pretending that they weren't "needed" or that chopping things up based on where the rest of the money is going (primarily the military) makes for a cogent argument that hundreds of thousands of people out of work without pay for over two weeks, having no idea during that time whether they would even receive back pay, isn't a "large swath" and somehow doesn't reduce demand, siphon money out of the economy and hurt gov't productivity.

December 26, 2013 06:04 pm at 6:04 pm |

Gurgyl

@donna, when government Shut-down occurs, people do not get salary–they can not spend, when not spent, lose Taxes, etc, these are all inter-linked. O.k. So many ways, shut down is bad to lose money, lost 34 billion dollars in 16 days, GOP thugs did. You can not blame Obama–blame Ted Cruz.

December 26, 2013 06:04 pm at 6:04 pm |

Tampa Tim

Donna – Can you look up the bad effects and the $24 billion lost in the Standard and Poors report? If you don't know, look it up.

December 26, 2013 06:06 pm at 6:06 pm |

Anonymous

@Donna:

Please, Donna, how about looking it up. Revenues lost by communities who depend on visitors to the closed
National Parks, and the Parks lost revenue from visitors.

Travel was affected, loss of revenue for restaurants, hotels, etc.

While government employees will get their money, the services they provide for people, which generates
income, was lost.
The list is long and there are more astute bloggers here that can explain it to you better, or, like I said,............
try doing your own research.

December 26, 2013 06:40 pm at 6:40 pm |

ED1

Just like our great Leader from behind great job to the military oh yea he did that while he was on vacation in a very very safe zone not over where the action is he is so brave.

December 26, 2013 09:12 pm at 9:12 pm |

Scott

I'm happy the President finally signed the budget bill HJR 59 without further game playing or distortion

December 26, 2013 09:50 pm at 9:50 pm |

J.V.Hodgson

Donna,
Before you write another 4 lines which effectively put both your feet in your oversized speech parts. One simple example is the loss of revenue from the national parks.
Better gurus and economists and accountants plus CBO gave the 24bn cost number.
Regards,
Hodgson.

December 26, 2013 11:09 pm at 11:09 pm |

ladies first

hmmmmmmm interesting were veterns and unemployment and the food stamps and aca all alterered to fit into individual budgets

December 26, 2013 11:20 pm at 11:20 pm |

Scott

President Obama enrolled in Obamacare, symbolically they say. Will he actually send in a premium check? That would be good because 1/6 of the economy is $450 Billion and that will require a lot of premium checks in order not to raise the deficit one dime as promised.

December 27, 2013 12:04 am at 12:04 am |

Lars D. Roose

In your article, you meantioned that the govt shutdown cost millions – but it cost $24 Billion
Are you afraid you might hurt the tea party feelings if you tell the truth ? tyvm.

December 27, 2013 03:36 am at 3:36 am |

@RI_Roger

Again the President had the opportunity to protect our military personnel from financial hardship when they retire by vetoing this bill and sending it back to look for "pay fors" in non essential government areas such as the EPA. Instead he chooses to harm the same people he thanked for their service on Christmas Day..... Hypocritical? CNN reports, you decide.